Species: Lepophidium aporrhox, Dusky Cusk-eel
gill arches and throat black

Lepophidium aporrhox Robins, 1961
Dusky Cusk-eel
Elongate, eel-like, tapering at rear to a point at tail; head low, compressed; snout with well developed, curved spine at front, no fringes under tip; eye large; mouth large, broad, nearly horizontal; teeth on jaws small, simple, in bands, outer ones larger; no tooth patch at lower front of gill arches; gill rakers – upper arm with 3 (2-5) rudiments, lower arm with 6-7 (5-7) developed rakers (with a rudiment between each of those) then 5-6 rudiments below, total 17-22 rakers; dorsal and anal fins low, confluent with tail; dorsal fin 106-115; anal fin 92-100; pectorals on midside, 21-23 (20-23); pelvics each of two small threads inserted under eye; scales round, small, in regular overlapping rows; head extensively covered with overlapping scales extending to between or before eyes, on cheeks and opercle; lateral line complete.
Yellow brown above, grading to white below; gill arches and gullet black; front of mouth pale; edges of dorsal and anal fins black.
Reaches 19.3 cm.
On soft bottoms.
Depth range: 46-186 m.
Honduras to Suriname, also in Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 19.3
- Depth Range Min
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- 46
- Depth Range Max
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- 186